Port-Wine Stains

Getting Rid of Port-Wine Stains

In Port Wine Stains

Port Wine Stains

Improved laser technology making treatment easier.

Port-wine stains and hemangiomas are common birthmarks. Often, some of these marks, like the very common, red patch or ‘stork bite’ on the back of the neck, resolve over time, often by age 4. It’s important to show these marks to a pediatrician, since they often show themselves sometime after birth. Mostly these marks just affect the skin, but less commonly they are associated with other symptoms, so examination by a pediatrician is important. They can be treated shortly after birth, or at any time in a person’s life. I often treat port-wine stains for the first time in adults. Often people seek treatment because flat birthmarks develop raised areas over time, or simply because people seek treatment after hearing about how well the newest generation of lasers work at removing port-wine stain birthmarks.

The good news is that lasers have gotten exceedingly good at removing these marks without damaging the skin they are a part of. The pulsed-dye laser removes port-wine stains and even some hemangiomas, often completely without a trace. Removal generally takes a series of treatments, usually administered at 6-8 week intervals. Immediately after treatment, the birthmark becomes bruised and looks quite purple. This resolves over a couple of weeks. Port-wine stains can be removed without a trace, and thus they are among my favorite conditions to treat. Newer pulsed-dye lasers can remove birthmarks that were incompletely removed by older-generation lasers.

Did you know?

Dr. Bernstein was the FIRST physician in the WORLD to get the Candela V-Beam/Perfecta laser and has published extensively on its use for the treatment of rosacea, spider veins, port-wine stains, scars, and facial rejuvenation.